


Before the Storm

by orphan_account



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (Video Game)
Genre: Anal Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, One use of a homophobic slur, Oral Sex, Pre-Canon, Rimming, Smut, no actual homophobia tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 13:02:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17849951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The year is 1992, and Sebastian LaCroix is an ambitious ancilla of New York City. He is resigned to another fruitless night in the vast metropolis - but then, he sees a stranger who catches his eye.(It's an excuse for LaCroix/Nines smut where they don't also want to kill each other lmao)





	Before the Storm

True darkness descended over New York City long after midnight, when all of the reputable people had long left the streets and the moonlight had been choked by dark, heavy clouds. From his seat within the second floor of a small, inconspicuous bar, Sebastian LaCroix watched as the first snow of the year began to fall, illuminated by the sickly yellow streetlights. His lip twinged in distaste at the sight - the only thing that he found uglier than New York was New York under a layer of dirty grey sludge. 

A stifled silence had fallen between himself and the slightly older man opposite him. Likely he was awaiting a response to the chatter that Sebastian had been ignoring for the past few minutes - he gave him a nod, and a quiet hum of affirmation. That sufficed, and the kine resumed talking about whatever it was he did for a living which fell once more on deaf ears - he hadn't sought conversation with him out of an interest in what he had to say, after all. His interest lay in his pleasant enough face, and his neck pulsing thickly with blood. It wasn't even that he felt the tug of hunger pulling in his throat; on the contrary, he was perfectly sated. It was that Sebastian had decided to indulge himself a nameless kine man with veins pumping with enough alcohol to let him forget his own troubles, for a time.

It had been another wasted evening within this foul snakepit of a city, of furiously treading water whilst the storm around him grew ever more furious. Seductive chances to expand his domain and power slipped just out of his reach night after night, and all the while he felt a thousand eyes upon him - waiting for him to make but a single mistake so that they may consume his carrion. His clanmates were two-faced sycophants that he knew would backstab him given the first opportunity (but god, he could not wait to get there first), and his primogen was an infuriating woman who treated him like an idiot fledgeling - when she actually bothered to listen to what he had to say, that was. He was trying to bide his time, aided on by fantasies of them all burning beneath him, but this was simply not his nature. He was the type to seize what he needed, what he deserved, but instead he found himself in another stifling dead end.

He'd thought America would be different.

His eyes flicked back to the kine with which he was wasting his evening - the man had edged closer, put a hand on his thigh. Sebastian neither leaned in nor recoiled, he simply looked into his watery brown eyes, eyebrow raised. Unease bloomed across the man's face - he began mumbling something about this not being the kind of thing he would normally do and so on, the usual nervous babble that indicated he was ready to disappear with him to somewhere more discrete, but was too cowardly to ask.

He looked around for the quickest escape route - or even just a corner where he could bite the man and be done with him. He'd toyed with the idea of fucking him earlier, but no... he really should put his days of doing such things with kine behind him; the easy release was never worth the coil of disgust that would fester in his stomach afterwards. He looked over the smoke-hazy room, past the drunken fools and the glittering of glass - and paused when he saw something he had not expected in the least. 

A pair of cold blue eyes - a pair that he did not know. A large, gruff, most certainly dead stranger sat cast in sharp shadows, looking quickly away from Sebastian when their eyes met.

How very intriguing. Though there were many kindred in the area, he felt he would have remembered seeing this man. He was rugged, quite large, everything about him was somewhat rough around the edges... but above all, he carried the air of someone young. Not a clueless neonate, but young enough that Sebasian felt more curiousity than caution. He did not carry that delicate tact that Sebastian was used to when seeing new kindred, the careful art of attuning one's body language to convey just the right level of confidence to be non-confrontational without looking submissive. Instead the man just looked awkwardly off to the side, clearly uncomfortable with Sebastian's eyes still upon him. It was almost endearing.

He was conscious of the fact that he could have been preparing to gauge Sebastian's eyes out and diablerise him in front of the whole bar - but, on the other hand, maybe he'd simply been looking for some brief debased enjoyment for the evening and had wound up here. Maybe this was an opportunity to end a dreary night with something altogether more pleasant - getting involved with other kindred beyond necessity was something he'd learned to avoid, but this man was new and looked to be of a... simpler clan, so it might not be completely disastrous to approach and strike up a conversation. 

Their eyes met again, and this time, he gave Sebastian a small nod of acknowledgement. That was it, his curiosity was piqued. He spared a look over the kine in front of him as he continued to whitter on and found that, compared to the mysterious man he'd just glanced, there was nothing that held any appeal - not even his blood, in that moment. Dismissing him with some half-hearted excuse of fatigue, he stood and walked away, uncaring whether he had left him baffled and offended.

The other vampire was determined to look anywhere but at him, it seemed, even as he approached. Nothing that a few suave words could not fix, he was sure. 

"Good evening," he said, when he was stood close to the man. He could see here how his furred arms rippled with muscle, the thickness of his neck, and would admit that he was rather charmed. 

"Hey," said the other man in a clipped voice, barely turning to look at him - he hunched in ever so slightly, defensive. Ah, so he was not an idiot who would trust him on sight. A pity.

The tension that always came with meeting unfamiliar kindred was thick in the air, not helped by the ensuing silence. Sebastian smiled warmly to diffuse it, an expression so rarely used to him that achieving it felt like pliers were contorting his dead skin. "May I sit here?" he asked, as polite as he could physically be, gesturing to the stool next to the man.

"I'm not here for trouble, and I'm not in the mood for a fight tonight. 'm just passing through," he said, still not quite looking his way. Just passing through? Well, now he simply had to pursue him, given that he could possibly never see him again.

His polite smile faded into a more comfortable smirk as he spoke. "If I had intended to start something with you, you would already be staked and left to greet the sun on a rooftop somewhere. I just wanted to talk." 

At those words, the man turned his head towards him, his blue eyes boring unflinchingly into his own. He must have been a Brujah, or perhaps a Gangrel - if his surly demeanour had not made it obvious, the way the corners of his mouth twitched in the beginnings of the bestial snarl would have. If Sebastian had been younger, he might have found the subtle assertion of dominance effective, but in that moment, he only held his gaze evenly. "Are you threatening me?" asked the man in a low, dangerous voice.

He laughed softly. "I thought we had already established that I am not. My, but you are hostile, aren't you?"

"Yeah, because I don't know you, and if you're not here to fuck with me, why the hell are you talking to me?"

He narrowed his eyes, unsure exactly how to proceed. He'd assumed the answer was obvious - maybe the man was heterosexual and oblivious as to what kind of establishment he'd wondered into, it not being the obnoxiously loud pit of degeneracy such places usually were. He needed to give this a firm, clarifying push. "To make civilised conversation," he ventured, dipping his voice suggestively as he leaned inwards, leaving very little room for ambiguity.

"Conversation? Christ, get to the fucking point. What do you want - if this is your territory, I'll leave, okay?"

Sebastian's carefully collected expression faltered, his already thin patience pulled close to snapping. "I am saying that I consider you attractive," he said bluntly, his exasperation triumphing over any attempts at charisma.

"What?" said the man. "...wait - was that supposed to be flirting? Are you serious?" His snarl faded, and he barked a short, sharp laugh. The incredulity on his face, as though the notion was utterly ridiculous, twisted sharply into Sebastian's gut.

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed," he said coldly. He could not deny that, as someone who took pride on how he presented himself, such coarse words were an affront. After many nights of easily dazzling clueless kine men for their blood, he forgot, sometimes, that the average kindred was not so easily swayed. "Excuse me."

"Hey, I wasn't saying I'm not open to the idea," said the man, and Sebastian froze. "You know how it is, and you're not exactly the most welcoming looking guy. Look... name's Nines."

He was not sure if his pride could let him attempt to salvage all of this, but when he looked back he was taken once more by the man's - Nines' - strong jaw and broad shoulders. It had been some time since he'd seen a man so attractive, and even longer since such a man had displayed any interest. After a brief pause, he sighed and relented. "And I am Sebastian," he said as he sat. He bit his tongue to prevent him from spilling his surname, because they didn't need that kind of thing, not tonight.

His eyes flicked slyly up and down Sebastian - did the corners of his mouth twitch approvingly when he did so, or was he imagining things? "I'm guessing you're from around here," said Nines.

"Yes - not originally, of course - but I've been here for some time. I... would not recommend it, to be honest."

"You wouldn't?"

"God, no, it's throttling, a city run by fools. Rife with Sabbat vermin that nobody does anything about, too-" He stopped himself, realising that the words were pouring out thick and fast. "But I won't bore you with all of that. Where is it that you've come from?"

"LA."

"Oh. I know next to nothing of that domain. How is it?" said Sebastian with feigned interest. As if any city in this wretched country would be something other than a mess that needed sorting.

He shrugged. "It's... complicated. But it's a city I love, so I stick with it." He looked on the verge of saying more, but no words came. 

"I see," said Sebastian, not actually seeing at all. He could not imagine growing attached to any of these cities - to him, they existed as mere hubs to contain the hierachies and kindred within them, nothing more. His next instinct was to find Nines' clan, his age, everything that would give him an idea of what kind of a threat he could pose, and how he might be dealt with. But  
he restrained himself... the irresponsibility sent a twinge through his stomach, but he would much rather not see this man as another knife that could be stuck into his back. "And how long are you planning on staying here?" he inquired.

"Oh, I'm getting the hell out tomorrow night, the only reason that I'm still here is so I have a secure place come sunrise."

Sebastian's lips quirked. "Perfect."

"Thanks," snorted Nines. "You sure you don't want me to leave?"

"Not yet, no - I just don't want to engage in certain activities with men who might feebly attempt to hold it over my head later. Petty drama can get tiring, you must understand, and I don't want to generate more of it."

"So you figured you'd walk up to the first stranger you could find instead?" asked Nines with a smirk. Sebastian frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but Nines spoke before he could. "Hey, just kidding. I get it - I keep my distance from all that shit."

"Mm. There's only so much distance one can keep from it when domains grow as big as this; it seems like infighting is a regrettable necessity."

"Well, yeah, because the Camarilla as a system is pretty fucking broken."

Sebastian blinked, unsure of whether he'd heard correctly. This man could not possibly be Sabbat, and he did not look like an utter savage, so to hear him say such outstandingly bold nonsense baffled him. "...could you explain what, exactly, you mean by that?" he inquired.

Nines opened his mouth, looked at Sebastian, and closed it again. "Eh, nevermind." Sebastian looked at him, and Nines looked right back. An unspoken agreement was decided there to not open this can of worms, lest this whole thing become soured. "How about I get to know you a little better instead?" he said, voice low, his hand reaching out to touch his arm. Sebastian allowed the touch. 

"That sounds like a fine idea."

And so the small talk continued. He had grown awfully tired of small talk recently, it having become a staple of his time spent mingling with whatever halfway respectable elder he could find... but this was not so bad. He did not have to choose his words so carefully around Nines, did not have to grovel so much. Nor did he have to pick apart Nines' every word for slights and implications and, though he was under no illusion that this conversation would lead to anything more than a quick fuck, he found himself enjoying the preamble regardless. The conversation itself was hardly enrapturing, with any and all topics holding even a hint of controversy being left well alone, but Sebastian's attention was kept very well with how Nines would gravitate towards him, moving his hand from his arm to creep up his thigh. It ignited a steady burn within him as he wondered how those calloused fingers might feel dragging across his bare skin instead. There was so little distance between them, Sebastian could have so easily pressed their lips together and pushed himself into his touch - however, to do such things shamelessly out in the open put a foul taste in his mouth. It was not long until he wanted to just leave and get on with it all, but even if he was quite sure by now that Nines was not part of a plot set up by one of his rivals, and even if he was really quite handsome, he was not going to expose his haven to a man he'd met just that night. Besides, he did not want to risk his dear laibon tearing Nines' throat out, viciously protective creature that he was.

He realised how the night was slipping away when he glanced out, into the darkness, and saw the snow piling thickly upon the roads. "You know," said Nines, "the place I'm staying isn't far from here. How about we..."

"I thought you'd never ask," he said, getting to his feet. 

The journey was short, with few words between them. Giddiness pulsed through his body as he stepped outside, a faint echo of living emotions returning to his dead body and brewing within him. The hotel that he followed Nines into was a rather dismal affair, but that somehow that sent a thrill down his spine. Underneath the mild disgust, he found some kind of allure in following an attractive near-stranger into some back-alley den, a far cry from the propriety he usually expected. Nines slid the door locked behind the two of them when they were in the cramped little room, and Sebastian could have sworn he felt his long-atrophied heart jerk, impossible though that was. He clenched his hands - he did not want to look unseemly with desperation, but he had to admit that he'd been itching for this moment since he'd first laid eyes on the other man. Such a potent, buzzing excitement spread through him when he was touched, even though it was nothing more than Nines' arms wrapping around his waist - so thick, his hands grabbing at his hips. His lips were on his neck, too, balancing upon the line between rough enough to set off delicious sparks of pain but not so violent as to break the skin. His stubble scraped along Sebastian's jaw as he spoke, voice husky in his ear.

"Bed?" 

Sebastian nodded, the feverish intoxication of arousal rising quickly. Though he felt almost obliged to mock the desperation with which Nines had leapt onto him, or maybe to take offense to the idea that all it took to spread his legs was a single question, no quick words came. Not when one of Nines' hands made its way up to his jaw, fixing it in place so that he could kiss him, whilst his other slid down between his legs and to his half-hard cock. He pushed him down by the shoulder and, though he wrinkled his nose at the stains upon the sheets, Sebastian let himself be pressed onto them. 

Their legs fit together perfectly, the friction between them catching in such a way that he gasped aloud. Everything about Nines was powerful, not just in his size but in how roughly he fondled his body, in how brutally his teeth worked at his neck. How fortunate that he didn't bruise easily. When he was sat firmly atop Sebastian, he could feel his thick, hard thighs pinning him to the mattress.

Nines' lips moved harshly up his neck, back to delve his tongue into his mouth. Sebastian would normally hurry things along at this point, so that he could get what he was there for and leave, but lying underneath Nines, he found the arousal thrumming incessantly through him stronger than it had been in decades. He just let himself be paid attention to, to be aggressively kissed and groped. He could feel the thick, hard cock pressing up against his hip, and a softly restrained whine escaped his lips when Nines' hand palmed at his own through his trousers. After he'd fumbled with Sebastian's shirt buttons enough to leave it hanging open across his chest, he removed his own shirt - and what a lovely sight that was. Sebastian's hand reached out to trace the hard lines of his stomach, his wide chest, a hum of approval deftly concealing a gasp of desire. He was more hirsuit than himself - he inhaled sharply as he imagined tangling his fingers into the hairs on his chest whilst he fucked Sebastian with his knees over his shoulders.

"You gonna just lie there?" asked Nines with a smirk, his voice almost challenging. "Figures, you seem the type."

He bristled, indignant. "You seemed all too eager to lead a second ago," he huffed, though in truth, he was more than willing to get his hands all over this man. He splayed his fingers on Nines' chest, sitting up underneath him. "Sit back, then," he ordered, voice apathetic despite how his cock ached for this as they switched positions, with Nines lying between his thighs.

He kissed his throat first, swiftly silencing the instinct to bite down onto his jugular - thank god he was not hungry, or this might have all become very complicated indeed. He sunk lower, across his collarbones, squeezing his firm pectorals, hands gliding across his hipbones but deliberately avoiding his erection. Nines grabbed his hair when he settled down between his thighs, leering down at him. He wasted no time in unzipping his worn jeans and pulling out his cock. Rather presumptuous of him but... oh, it was impressive. Sebastian grasped it only lightly, seeing how the other man tensed in response. His face was mere centimeters away from the head, he could easily just slide his lips over it and take him into his mouth - hm, but to do such a thing without even being prompted that would make him look a little too compliant and docile, wouldn't it? He did not tighten his grasp as he slid his fingers down the hard shaft, idly grasping his heavy sack and massaging it between his fingers as he looked up at Nines with a glint in his eye. Nines tried to tug him down onto him, pulling at the hand in his hair, his face growing taut with frustration and arousal. He did so love having a man fall apart between his fingers.

"Yes?" asked Sebastian. "What is it that you need?"

"Fuck - quit teasing and just get on with it, you English faggot," groaned Nines. 

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at him. "Call me English again and I will bite your cock off," he snapped. But he relented - because he wanted to taste him on his tongue, reasoned Sebastian, not because he'd been told to. 

"Oh goddamn," hissed Nines, fingers tightening in Sebastian's hair as he slid downwards, until the tip hit the back of his throat and his nose was buried in thick black hair. Nines filled his mouth wonderfully, enough that he had to take a moment before dragging his mouth back up, easing into a languid rhythm as his fingers settled around the base. He did not have long, however, to enjoy sucking him at his own leisurely pace - Nines' hips bucked very suddenly underneath him and he was wrenched downwards, the thick cock shoved deep into his throat with no warning. The push and pull became much more brutal as the other man decided that it was he who ought control the pace, apparently. He did not pull off - he was no virginal weakling and did not want to look as such - and instead relaxed to let his mouth be fucked. His own arousal throbbed with every thrust, every forceful pull at his thoroughly ruined hair, every obscene smack to his face. "Good at that, aren't you?" said Nines, voice laboured. He wasn't sure how much of Nines' praise was mocking him, rife with implications as it was, but he simply shut his eyes and swallowed the precum dribbling down his throat. Despite its connotations, he saw no reason to be ashamed of the fact that he could make Nines lose control with only a few clever moves of his mouth.

"Fuck, stop," choked out Nines eventually, pushing him away by the forehead. He was on Sebastian before he could even ask what he wanted, heavy hands shoving him down into the sheets. "You're wearing way too goddamned much," he snarled.

"Do something about it, then," he said. His throat had such a lovely sensation of rawness to it when he spoke.

Nines replied by wrenching his remaining clothes away until the only items left between them were Nines' hastily shoved-aside jeans and his own dark shirt barely clinging to his shoulders. When Nines grasped his cock he shuddered and gasped - at first he thought that he had been a little too theatrical, but then he saw how the other man's eyes roved over him, the hunger burning in them as he pawed at his body. Such attention pleased him, he did so adore the satisfaction of having a man beneath him, looking at him with the reverence he deserved. Sometimes Sebastian wished he'd been embraced slightly older, he thought it might make others more subconsciously inclined to respect him, but at times like these he was glad indeed for the condition of his body when he'd died. 

The steady drag of Nines' hand along his cock set his hips rolling, low moans escaping from his parted lips. He leant down to kiss him once more, their lips and tongues sliding together with desperation and fervour, eliciting muffled moans as Nines rubbed his thumb over his sensitive head. His eyes opened when he felt his other hand move to his hips, pulling at him, silently asking him to move further up, until he was hovering above his face, Nines looking up at him lasciviously.

He closed his eyes and very suddenly enveloped his cock in his soft, wet mouth. Sebastian could only curl his fingers into the bed sheets and groan encouragement as Nines bobbed his head, the hand firm on his hip preventing him from thrusting into his throat. He sucked at him well and with vigour, and the way his cheeks hollowed as he took him in might have been one of the most erotic sights Sebastian had seen in quite some time. His tongue slipped over him with cruel precision, making his toes curl and bringing him a little too close to finishing for comfort. "You're quite good at this yourself..." he murmured in belated response to his earlier statement. Nines pulled off to flash him a predatory grin, before diving back in to lick at his perineum, pushing his legs further apart and moving his hand and tongue lower, and then lower still.

Sebastian brought a hand to his mouth to muffle his sudden cry of surprise and utter, desperate want. It had been a long time since he'd had this filthy little pleasure. 

His tongue teased at his entrance, laving over it but not entering until Sebastian grabbed his hair and half-intentionally thrust into his face. When his tongue slipped inside he sighed, hands gripping at the headboard as he was shallowly penetrated, grinding onto the other man's face in an effort to feel more of it, more of anything inside of him. He let out a low, long moan when he felt a finger slip inside beside Nines' tongue, shifting his knees apart to ease it inside, tightening around it so that it might satisfy the damned need he hadn't noticed welling inside of him for some time now. It really had been too long since he'd been fucked - all of squabbles and petty feuds he'd spent his time on instead seemed so very unimportant when Nines thrust two fingers upwards, slickened with some sort of lubricant that slipped them deep inside. Though he felt the expected burn, the ease with which Nines found that certain spot made the pain seem negligible, compared to the pleasure that had him crying out as precum leaked from his cock.

Sharp, shamefully needy cries spilled past his lips as a third finger stretched him open, moving fluidly in and out as Nines moved forwards to lick up his cock once more. Every sensation was too much, he scrabbled to cling to his dignity but felt it slip further away with every slick slide into his body, his eyes fluttering closed as he threw his head back. Nines looked up at him as he withdrew his lips, easing Sebastian to sit back on his firm stomach, his fingers still inside him.

"Fuck, you're so tight, you're squeezing around me - want me to fuck you?" he said, voice tight with desperation. Sebastian wanted many, many things to do with this man - everything from the most deviant acts to simply kissing his rough lips once more - but he had to agree that in that moment, his cock was very appealing indeed.

"Of course I do," replied Sebastian. "Now."

Nines hurried to slick his hand from a small, inconspicuous bottle on the bedside table and reached around Sebastian to prepare, but Sebastian bat his hand away to grab behind him and stroke his thick cock himself. It somehow felt even larger than it had when he'd been choking on it. He watched how Nines' muscles strained as he stroked him, listened the other man's voice as it frayed with pleasure with each twist of his fingers. He considered teasing the man again, wondering what kind of sounds he could get him to make - but when the cock in his hand was dripping wet, he craved nothing more than to have it inside of him. He repositioned himself, so that Nines was a single twitch away from thrusting inside.

"Fuck, yeah, get on top of me..." Any other time, Sebastian might have had some derisive remark pointing out that that was exactly what he was already doing, but in that moment he was distracted by the large cockhead pressing up against his rim. He steadied himself with closed eyes and hands firm on Nines' chest as he sunk downwards to impale himself, the burning stretch deep within him reaching places fingers could not. It was a little bit more than he expected - was that really only halfway? "You alright?"

"Yes, fine," replied Sebastian. When he was finally fully sheathed within him, so deep and so full, he opened his eyes to look at Nines and lifted himself just a fraction, pushed back down again, until he was slowly and steadily fucking himself.

"You feel so good," murmured Nines, watching him ardently. Sebastian moaned his agreement that, yes, this was enjoyable enough, as he angled himself so that he could move faster, take more of it inside of him. He nearly shouted when Nines grabbed him and thrust upwards, slamming them together with such bestial little noises. He could do little more than keep his balance as he was bounced up and down on his throbbing prick, his own cock smacking against his stomach, and if he was to be honest, he was rendered weak by how well Nines had taken control. Sebastian craved control in just about every aspect of his life, but relinquishing it for pleasure was one of his most guarded vices. He felt wetness on his hands, and saw that he'd drawn the first blood of the evening by clawing into Nines' chest. "Fuck, you like that?"

"Yes, yes, harder-!" commanded Sebastian, and Nines complied, fucking into him until he could hardly gather another word. It felt so disgustingly, filthily good every thrust building the burning tightness in his body and pushing him closer to the edge.

"Hold on, I wanna turn you over," grunted Nines.

"Oh, please, do...!" 

He was flipped onto his hands and knees before he could even blink, shoved into place by the larger man. He didn't care. Not when his thick cock filled him up again, slipping in much more easily this time but still leaving him stunned. He buried his face into the pillow to stifle his now constant string of moans, slumping forwards onto his elbows as Nines fucked him powerfully. He missed being able to look at him, to see how his breathtaking body and face contorted as he fucked him, but it was worth it for how rigorously he could now rut at him, like an animal, and how the head of his cock struck constantly at his prostate. He rocked back into the thrusts; he was so very close but unable to quite get there-

A hand reached around to grab his cock and in just a few strokes he was done for. Hands clawing into the bed, hips thrusting and thighs twitching, he finished onto the sheets below with a silent scream. 

But Nines was not yet finished. Sebastian stayed there, satisfied and distant, as he continued to fuck his limp body. A subtle pain and rawness began to pulse through at the overstimulation, but the residual pleasure distracted him enough to not throw the other man off of him just yet.

"I'm close," rasped Nines in his ear, "you want me to-"

"Inside me," instructed Sebastian dazedly. His eyes rolled back and his soft cock twitched as Nines obliged, spilling deep into him and biting down on Sebastian's neck to muffle his groan. It wasn't warm, like a living man's release, but he still moaned softly at the sensation of being filled. He sighed as Nines pulled out, lubricant and seed running slowly down his thighs.

The sheets felt stiff and coarse as Sebastian collapsed into them, waiting for the high to fade. He tried to ignore the ugly emptiness - both physically and emotionally - that always slithered through him when things like this ended. Sweet little distractions could not last forever, even amongst immortals, and unnecessary lingering helped no one. The bed shifted as Nines lay down not quite beside him, setting a cold and solid distance between their bodies; this was over, he told himself, and now it was time to redress and leave.

And he would have, had clarity not eluded him. The post-orgasm fog would not lift from his mind, pulling down at his body and rendering him lethargic. This wasn't right - the sex had been good, but not enough to leave him incapacitated. His muscles grew heavy and a familiar cloying headache cracked through his skull as the mere effort of keeping his eyes open became painful. He realised, then, what was wrong - dawn must have broken.

He cursed himself for letting the night elapse so carelessly - god, how on earth was he going to return to his haven now? He shook the man next to him, getting only a low groan in response. "It's sunrise!" he hissed.

"Yeah, I noticed," said the other man groggily. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna turf you out." He settled in to lie comfortably on his back, and did not seem to be panicking nearly as much as he should have.

"Did you lock the door?" demanded Sebastian. "Those curtains look transparent, perhaps we should move to the bathroom-"

He felt an arm around his waist, pulling him easily to lie on top of Nines' chest. "It's fine. I doubt that of all the rooms of all the vampires in this city, it's gonna be this one that gets ransacked."

"I have my enemies, Nines, and hunters have been operating far more openly recently."

"No one tailed us here. Relax, I've been travelling for a long time, never had any problems. Anyone comes in here, I'll rip their head off, alright? Let's just sleep." 

He hadn't even meant to stay with Nines until sunrise, nevermind to spend a day sleeping on top of him... but he supposed that it wouldn't hurt, to just close his eyes for a moment. The pull towards torpor was as strong as ever, and Nines' broad chest was quite comfortable. He pulled the duvet up and over himself, drifting away into the blackness that took him every morning... it did not feel so cold this time, with the arms of another around him. 

 

\----

 

Thankfully, Sebastian did not awaken to a stake piercing his heart, or sunlight burning away his flesh. Instead, he awoke to an empty bed, and the rustling of movement.

"You awake? Good, wasn't sure how I was gonna explain the corpse in my room to the receptionist."

He blinked away the dimness of torpor and slowly sat up to see Nines pulling his shirt on. A cursory glance around the room revealed how carelessly strewn his own clothes were, and so he began to gather them as life eased back into his body. Silence hung heavily over the room, and brought a most ungainly awkwardness with it - when he was struck with the somewhat depressing realisation that these last few moments would probably be the only pleasant interaction he would have for some time, he decided to break it. "Thank you for last night. It was most enjoyable."

"Yeah," said Nines. He looked somewhat surprised to hear him speak. "It was."

"I don't suppose you will be visiting again any time soon?" asked Sebastian, half-jokingly, tightening his tie.

"Doubt it. I've got a forty hour drive ahead of me now, not exactly an easy weekend trip."

"Oh, did you want money for a flight?" He made the offer without really thinking about it, partially because Nines had fucked himself into his good graces, and partially because perhaps a petty display of wealth and dominance would make up for the time he'd spent on his knees.

Nines narrowed his eyes at him, expression unreadable. "I don't need your charity," he said, his suddenly cold tone catching Sebastian rather off guard. "Sorry, I - no, thanks. The drive's not that bad."

"Suit yourself," said Sebastian, pulling on his jacket and standing. "If you'll excuse me, then, I have much to attend to. Best of luck to you - try not to get yourself killed, mm?" He almost went in for one last kiss, but decided against it. 

"Yeah, you too," he said with nod. And with those words Sebastian turned, and shut the door behind him. 

The moon hung bloated and ghostly above the grey towers of the city, and the air was deathly cold on his cheeks. An irresponsible and self-indulgent part of him hoped to see Nines again someday, he pondered as he stepped into the brisk night, but most of him sincerely hoped that he did not. Much of why he did not seek real relationships anymore, aside from what a rare commodity trust had become, was because of how tired he got of watching a love once new and euphoric slowly turning into a bitter, hatred-fueled, occasionally violent disaster... as tended to happen with, well, every single man he'd gotten involved with. Maybe he had a type, or maybe it was something to do with himself, though he would never admit the latter. But as an unknown, Nines was perfect - he did not have enough depth to be imperfect, and having him fade into the night was the closest he could get to a happy conclusion. That way, the time that they had shared could be always cherished as an fond memory, untainted by unnecessary complications. 

 

He had not been gaining many fond memories these recent nights. And of course, as he would later find out, the world would not be so kind as to grant him this one, either.


End file.
